Today's Mystery object...

Not many people will have one of these in their garden or would probably want one!

Screw pickets (used as supports for barbed wire defences) were introduced c. 1915 during the First World War as a replacement for timber posts.  Known as a "corkscrew picket", it was made from a steel bar which had its bottom end bent into a spiral coil.

Groups of soldiers formed into wiring parties went out at night into 'no mans land' to position these supports. They later strung the barbed wire through the loops to form a defensive wire obstacle as a protection for their trench line. The British called this type of stake a 'corkscrew' picket because it was screwed into the ground rather than hammered in as the timber posts had been (the hammering made loud noise, usually attracting enemy fire).

They can often be seen in farm yards along the old Western Front. This one was sourced legitimately!